Electronic payloads are regularly attached to fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft for various civilian and military purposes. Examples of such payloads include visual and infrared sensors for law enforcement and fire fighting purposes, as well as intelligence gathering equipment such as signals intelligence, optical systems and multi-spectral sensors employed for purposes of conducting surveillance of targets, and protection of personnel. Conventional installations of such systems can be characterized as unique single-point design solutions that are single-purposed in that they are each built to satisfy a specific payload solution requirement, and are the current method for implementing aircraft modifications to install payloads. Such conventional solutions employ a point design solution design approach in which payload loads (inertial and aerodynamic) induced upon the aircraft (usually fuselage structure) are specifically defined by the characteristics of the payload and any associated aerodynamic fairing(s) and are specific to the payload(s) being attached to the aircraft. The Beechcraft King Air 350, as well as many other types of fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft types are frequently modified using such single-point solutions that only meet a specific solution intent for a customer, thus driving increased costs and extended time schedules when payload modifications are required, e.g., due to new technology and differing payload capability requirements that are ever evolving.
Payload point design loads are considered by Stress and Mechanical Structures Aerospace Engineers during conventional design methods to develop specific structural components uniquely designed and qualified to safely couple the loads into the aircraft during flight operations. These structural components are then manufactured and the aircraft is modified with these structural components to provide mounting provisions to accept the payload(s). The aircraft can then be safely operated under flight operations while carrying the payload(s). Such aircraft modifications are also often performed as part of an FAA Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) or Field Modification process. The analysis data and design details produced by the Stress and Mechanical Structures Aerospace Engineers is considered by FAA representatives such as a Designated Engineering Representative (DER), Aircraft Certification Office (ACO) or Organization Designation Authority (ODA) Unit Member in order to determine that the design is properly substantiated for airworthiness and determined to meet safety of flight criteria.
In a manner synonymous to the Stress and Mechanical Structure design, Electrical Aerospace Engineers typically consider the electrical interface requirements of the payload, and design a specific electrical interface design. The Aerospace Engineers apply common practice design methods to create a point design solution for fuselage penetrations for the required electrical interface connectors.
These structural and electrical interface designs are sufficient to meet the specific requirements of a specific payload installation. If there is a subsequent requirement to significantly alter the payload such that the current point design solution design no longer accommodates the mass, size, shape, or other characteristics of the altered payload; the method process previously described is repeated. Since the aircraft has already been modified with certain payload provisions, often is the case that the previously described design methodology will be complicated because of the impact of the currently installed aircraft modifications. In this regard, previously installed aircraft modifications may require removal and replacement with new structures in order to meet the altered payload requirements. Some previously installed aircraft modifications may be difficult to remove or remove, modify, and reinstall without placing the aircraft structure at additional risk for damage during hands-on work. In occurrence of such cases, the process can become unusually costly in expense and schedule.
A unique support structure has been attached using fittings to an aircraft fuselage to provide a “single point” solution for mounting a corresponding unique given payload to the aircraft. A differently configured custom support structure having custom mounting holes for a given sensor is required for each different type of sensor(s) or payload(s). A new stress analysis and engineering design of the support structure, payload mounting provisions, fuselage fittings, and fuselage structural reinforcement is required to obtain a new or amended STC from the FAA prior to allowed use of each different sensor and its corresponding aircraft support structure.